


Helena

by LexLemon



Category: Anastasia (1997), Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)
Genre: Anastasia AU, But that’s expected for Birds of Prey, F/F, It’s my first time writing for DC, Rated t for language and violence, Slow Burn, Sorry if it is, Things might be OOC sometimes, What a creative title amiright?, Yes I kept the songs, has this been done already?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:29:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28945941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LexLemon/pseuds/LexLemon
Summary: The people of Sicily have been wondering for decades if Mafia Princess Helena Bertinelli survived the assassination of her family led by Roman Sionis. Expert conwomen Dinah Lance and Renee Montoya have concocted a brilliant plan to solve this mystery and bring Helena back to her grandmother in Gotham City. Once they meet Lena, a foulmouthed orphan with a temper, a crossbow, and amnesia, they may have found everything they’ve been looking for.
Relationships: Cassandra Cain & Renee Montoya, Dinah Lance & Renee Montoya, Harley Quinn & Original Female Character(s), Helena Bertinelli & Cassandra Cain, Helena Bertinelli/Dinah Lance, Roman Sionis/Victor Zsasz
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing for Birds of Prey and D/C in general, so I have no idea if anyone else has already done an Anastasia AU with this premise. But when I first watched the movie and it got to Helena’s backstory, I knew I had to do this at some point. So just some apologies before we begin:
> 
> First off, I’m sorry if anyone’s OOC. Like I said, this is my first time writing for this fandom, but I tried to keep everything as accurate as I could.
> 
> Also, 90% of what is said and done in this story is taken directly from Anastasia (Yes, that includes the songs), so I also apologize if that isn’t your thing.
> 
> So if you’ve made it this far and are still interested, then I wish you happy reading! :)

There was a time not very long ago when the Sicilians lived in a world of elegant manors and grand parties. This was due to the leadership of one family who ruled the city in swift style and with an iron fist.

The Bertinellis were the wealthiest and most respected family in Sicily, thanks to the work they had done over the years in supplying the local crime ring. Of course, this information wasn't disclosed to their people. What the city saw was a family who lived in absolute splendor and kept their city alive for years to come.

They were able to celebrate this on a cold winter's night, when a party was being held at the Bertinelli mansion to celebrate their tricentennial reign over Sicily. Every elite family from each corner of the world was invited, as different limousines and carriages pulled up to the front door by the minute. Anyone who was anyone was there that night, and it was going to be a night they never forgot.

Among the guests was the family matriarch, Carmela Bertinelli. The elderly woman stepped out of her carriage draped in a red cloak that trailed several feet behind her as she walked up the front steps. Everyone parted ways to let her through, and no one dared to look her in the eye should they accidentally offend her. But Carmela was in no mood to be domineering. She only had one mission on her mind as she entered her family home that night.

From the moment she stepped into the ballroom, Carmela was greeted with light. Chandeliers glistened on the ceiling above her, making the golden walls shine all around her. Every inch of the room was covered with people, some mingling by the tables against the wall while most waltzed and whirled about the dance floor.

Taking a seat towards the back of the room, Carmela looked out at the party and smiled upon seeing her family dancing together with bright smiles on their faces. Her daughter-in-law, Maria, laughed with a wide grin while her husband, Franco, lifted their daughter high in the air in a spin. Carmela recognized little Helena instantly, as the young girl was the brightest thing in the room.

Upon finding her grandmother, Helena let out a loud gasp then rushed over to her, nearly knocking over her younger brother, Pino, in the process. Carmela wrapped her arms around her and squeezed her tight, letting her warmth exude through her.

Once they let go, Helena reached into her dress pocket and pulled out a drawing of a woman resembling Carmela sitting atop an ottoman with a small smile.

"Look, Nonna! I made this for you. Do you like it?" she asked.

Carmela let out a warm laugh and pressed the drawing to her chest. "I love it, my darling. Thank you." She set the drawing down on her lap then reached over to her side, revealing a large clutch. As she rifled through it, she said, "I brought a present for you too. I had it specially made all the way from Gotham City."

Carmela pulled out a small, circular box colored yellow and green, its gold material shining in the light. Helena let out a loud gasp as she cupped the box in her hands.

"This is for me? Is it a jewelry box?"

Unbeknownst to the two women, there was a young spy hiding among them. A girl not much older than Helena watched the exchange several feet away, her eyes twinkling at the sight of the box. Before she could get a closer look, a sharp voice said in her ear, "Dinah Laurel Lance!"

The girl winced and turned around to find a stern Black woman glaring down at her.

"I thought I told you to stay with me!"

"Aw, but Mom! I just want to see!"

The girl wasn't able to argue much more, as her mother was quick to grab her hand and drag her away so the Bertinellis could have their privacy.

Carmela soon pulled out a circular, gold charm and placed it on the side of the box, twisting it three times with a _click_. The box then opened up to reveal two painted figurines resembling Franco and Maria, their bodies spinning about in a waltz. A tinkling melody echoed from within that Helena recognized instantly.

Her eyes lit up as she turned to Carmela to say, "It plays our lullaby."

"You can play it at night before you go to sleep and pretend it is me singing."

Carmela took Helena's free hand and swayed with her from side to side, eventually leading her in a spin as they sang their song together.

“ _On the wind,_

_’Cross the sea,_

_Hear this song and remember.”_

Both _: “Soon, you’ll be_

_Home with me_

_Once upon a December.”_

Carmela then picked up the charm she used to open the music box and handed it over to Helena. The charm was attached to a thin gold chain so it could be worn as a necklace, allowing Helena to hold onto it forever.

"Read what it says," Carmela told her.

Helena held the charm close to her face, widening her eyes so she could read its inscription better. The words were written in a circle, so she had to turn it in order to read it.

"'Together in Gotham.'" Helena's face lit up at the message, and she turned to her grandmother with wide eyes. "Really? Oh, Nonna!" She then threw her arms around her and squeezed her in a tight hug, making Carmela laugh with glee.

Unfortunately, the two would never be able to be together in Gotham because a dark shadow descended upon the house of thr Bertinellis.

It wasn't long before an uninvited guest arrived to the party, clearing the room as he announced his presence. A handsome man with a chiseled face and polished brown hair strutted across the floor in a white suit, making his way over to Franco. His name was Roman Sionis, a former associate for the family before he was fired for stealing a Bertinelli family heirloom.

"Franco, it's been far too long," he said to his colleague. "I heard there was a party in town, so I thought I'd drop by."

"How dare you return to this house."

"But Frankie, I'm your friend. Your confidante."

"Confidante." Franco scoffed. "You are a traitor! Get out!"

Roman took a step back and sneered at him. "What, you think you can _banish_ me? I think you're forgetting who I am, Frankie. I'm Roman _Fucking_ Sionis. If anyone should be doing the banishing around here, it's me. So how about this?" Roman pointed his finger at Franco with a smirk. "I banish _you_ with a curse. Mark my words. You and your wretched family will be dead before the month is through. And I'm not going to rest until I see the end of the Bertinellis forever!"

Shocked gasps resounded throughout the room, and everyone pushed themselves closer to the walls to keep as far away from Roman as possible. This helped fuel his ego even further, as he used the cleared pathway to walk out with his head held high and act as if he owned the place.

~

The Bertinellis spent the next two weeks doing everything they could to protect themselves, from staying under house arrest to adding more security to the mansion. Franco was going to make sure that no one harmed his family under his watch.

Meanwhile, Roman was busy planning out every detail of his master plot. The heirloom he had stolen from the Bertinellis was the family Diamond, a jewel that held immense power and could manipulate anyone to bend to the user's will. Roman had been spending his time in harnessing the Diamond's power and learning how to use it for himself.

Once he had fully mastered it, he created an army of strong men that served no one but him, calling them the False Face Society. When the last member had been assembled, he sent them on a charge towards the mansion, enacting his curse once and for all.

The army charged through the iron gates and destroyed everything in their path, creating a shambled wreckage of marble and dead fauna along the front lawn. They threw themselves on top of cars and took on every member of their security team, fists and weapons flying by the second.

Inside the mansion, Franco led his family in single file through the lower halls, hoping to reach the tunnels built underneath the mansion that could lead them to safety. Helena and Carmela trailed in the back, their hands squeezing each other with every bit of strength they had. Just before they could reach the door, a thought entered Helena's mind that made her tense up.

"My music box!" she said, letting go of Carmela's hand and turning back.

Carmela reached out to grab her, but she had already turned down the hall. "Helena! Come back! Come back!" she said as she ran after her.

Carmela found her granddaughter in her bedroom, grabbing her music box off the nightstand beside her bed. Once she clasped it to her chest, Helena ran into Carmela's arms and let her press her close to her chest.

"Please hurry," she said as she pushed her towards the door.

They barely made it across the floor before skidding their heels into the floor, as a sharp rapping and the sound of thick laughter echoed from the other side of the door.

"Quick! Over here!" a voice said from behind.

The two turned around to see the girl from the party appear from a small panel in the wall, pushing it open to reveal a tunnel from within.

The girl ran over to them and led them towards it, saying, "Come this way. Out the servant's quarters."

Carmela managed to fit herself inside and crawl through, but Helena stopped when she felt the music box slip out of her hand and fall to the floor.

"My music box!" she said as she turned around.

The girl was quick to push her back inside, saying, "Go!"

Helena didn't want to part with such a precious gift, but she knew she had to if it meant she could stay alive with her grandmother. Thus, she resigned to crawling through the passageway and leaving the girl alone in her old room.

Just before the girl could crawl after them, the door was thrust open, allowing several men wearing black masks that covered their entire face to storm into the room. One of them approached her as she stood against the wall, asking, "Where are they, girl?"

The girl took in a deep breath and opened her mouth to scream, but she barely got a note out thanks to the man knocking her head with the butt of his gun. In an instant, the girl collapsed to the floor and let her world grow black, her hand mere inches away from grabbing Helena's precious music box.

~

The Bertinellis were long gone by the time Helena and Carmela made it outside, their faces nipped by the cold with each step they ran.

"Keep up with me, darling," the latter said, keeping her grip on Helena's hand.

The two crossed under a bridge and felt their chests heave with each step, but they knew they couldn't stop. Not if they wanted to live to see tomorrow.

Just as they made it to the other side, a deep laugh echoed from above, and they felt a sharp breeze blow behind them. Roman pounced on top of Helena and pulled her away from Carmela, his hand tight around her ankle.

Helena tried to squirm out of his grip and claw her hands into the ground. Her screams echoed in the air as she turned to face her foe, saying, "Let me go!"

"You're not going to escape me, kid. I got you now."

Unfortunately, Roman had spoken too soon, as Helena had managed to bolster up her strength and kick him square in the face. The blow made him let go and skid his face into the hard gravel, causing it to now be adorned with dark bruises that dripped with fresh blood.

"You little _bitch_! You won't get far on foot! I can promise you that!" he said as he watched her escape with Carmela, too weak and embarrassed to pick himself back up.

Helena and Carmela eventually reached a train station that was packed with people desperately trying to get off the island and go to Rome. Carmela kept her grip on her granddaughter's fingers, weaving through the crowd with her to reach the train that was beginning to pull away.

"Helena, hurry!"

The two managed to reach the platform on the last train car, where a man held out his hand to help them on board. Carmela managed to grab it and pull herself up, but Helena's small fingers slipped out of her hand.

She ran along the platform and reached out for her grandmother with tear-streaked eyes, barely able to see Carmela's hand in the dark of the night.

"Nonna!" she said desperately.

Carmela leaned over the railing in an attempt to reach her, saying, "Take my hand! Hold onto my hand!"

"Don't let go!"

Just when their hands clasped together, Helena's foot caught onto a loose board in the wood below, causing her to lose her balance. She let out a scream as she crashed to the ground, her body never moving long after the train pulled away from the station.

"HELENA!" Carmela cried as tears blinded her, her vision clearing once it was too late to turn back.

The night of the Bertinelli Curse was one that went down in infamy. So many lives were destroyed that night. What had always been was now gone forever.

Carmela Bertinelli had managed to return to Gotham City safe and unharmed, but she lived the rest of her life with the knowledge that she would never see her beloved Helena ever again.


	2. Chapter 2

Life continued to go on for the citizens of Sicily long after the Bertinelli Curse had taken into effect. The loss of the crime family had only created a small ripple in everyone's normal lives, as they carried on with their routines as if nothing had happened.

The city remained one of poverty for its citizens who were merely trying to make it to the next day. However, as decades passed since their demise, the family's name continued to generate conversation amongst the townspeople. Or rather, one name in particular.

No one knew who started the rumor or how they knew it was true, but word began to spread not long after that fateful night that one of the Bertinellis hadn't been killed at the hands of the False Face Society. No matter where you went in Sicily, everyone was talking about young Helena Bertinelli and what she was doing at that very moment. Whether it was factory workers, people ambling about the street, or those imposing authority on the streets, each little community had something to say about the young girl they all considered to be a princess.

_“Italia is gloomy._

_Italia is bleak._

_My body’s started sweating_

_From standing here all week._

_Though since the Revolution,_

_Our lives have been so gray._

_Thank goodness for the gossip_

_That gets us through the day._

_Hey, have you heard_

_There’s a rumor in Italia?_

_Have you heard_

_What they’re saying on the street?_

_Although Franco did not survive,_

_His daughter may still be alive._

_Helena Bertinelli,_

_But please do not repeat._

_It’s a rumor, a legend, a mystery._

_Something whispered in an alleyway_

_Or through a crack._

_It’s a rumor that’s part of our history._

_They say her Nonna Carmela_

_Will pay a royal sum_

_To someone who can bring Helena back!”_

The marketplace was no exception to the gossip, as that was where it thrived the most. Each stand was supposedly selling some sort of novelty that the vendor had retrieved from the Bertinelli mansion, swearing that one of the fabled family's hands once touched it or wore it on their person.

Among the day's customers was Renee Montoya, an older Latina woman whose eyes wandered around every inch of the square. Her hands were tucked into her pockets with each step, and her breaths came out in nervous wavers.

"Where the hell is she?" she asked under her breath.

A sharp whistle then echoed in her ears and was followed by a voice saying, "Renee!"

Renee turned around and sighed when she saw her business partner resting against a brick wall. Dinah Lance waved her over with a smirk, keeping her confident stance while she waited.

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you," Renee said. She wrapped her arm around Dinah and led her into the main square, where they were immediately jostled by vendors trying to sell their wares to them. 

_“A Euro for this painting._

_It’s Bertinelli, I swear._

_Count Giuseppe’s pajamas,_

_My friends, by the pair!_

_I got these from the mansion._

_It’s lined with real fur._

_It could be worth a fortune_

_If it belonged to her.”_

The two women weren't swayed by any of their goods, as they had their own plans in mind. With a friendly wave of dismissal, they managed to escape each one so they could weave through the growing crowd to get to their destination.

They soon reached a flat at the end of the street and ran inside, rushing up the stairs to reach Dinah's room.

Once inside, Renee said, "So I got us the theater."

"Great! Everything's going according to plan. All we need is the girl."

Renee could see the sparkle in Dinah's eyes as she told her the plan, feeling just as much pride in it as her partner did.

"Just think, Renee. No more forging papers. No more stolen goods. We'll have three tickets that'll take us back home and get us the hell out of here. There's one for you, one for me, and one for Helena!"

Dinah then went over to the window and reached into her pocket, pulling out Helena's music box. She cupped it in her palms and watched as the gold sparkled in the sun, her smile growing by the second at the thought of her greatest dream finally coming true.

“ _It's the rumor, the legend, the mystery._

_It’s Helena Bertinelli_

_Who will help us fly._

_You and I, friend, will go down in history._

_We’ll find a girl to play the part_

_And teach her what to say,_

_Dress her up, and take her to Gotham._

_Imagine the reward_

_Her dear old Nonna will pay!_

_Who else could pull it off but you and me?_

_We’ll be rich.”_

Renee: “ _We’ll be rich!”_

Dinah _: “We’ll be out.”_

Renee _: “We’ll be out!”_

Both _: “And Italia will have some more to talk about!”_

"Come on!" Dinah grabbed Renee's hand and pulled her out the window, leading her onto the shingles so they could run across the roofs of the city. Renee's cries of protests fell onto deaf ears, as Dinah's eyes were only on the prize ahead.

Once they descended back onto the street, they merged into the growing crowds on the street, where every voice could only muse on the whereabouts of Helena.

“ _Shhh, have you heard_

_There’s a rumor in Italia?_

_Have you heard_

_What they’re saying on the street?_

_Hey, have you heard_

_There’s a rumor in Italia?_

_Have you heard?_

_My friends, what do you suppose? A fascinating mystery.”_

Dinah: “ _The biggest con in history!”_

All: “ _Helena Bertinelli,_

_Alive or dead?_

_Who knows?”_


	3. Chapter 3

Far out in the Sicilian countryside stood a towering manor that could have rivaled the Bertinellis' in luxury and size. It was secluded deep within the surrounding forest, leaving plenty of acres to make up the property and be littered with marble statues and all kinds of architecture. No one knew who resided in it or even where to find it, but those who did live there treasured the privacy the land gave them. However, one of its residents was about to leave it for the very first time and never look back.

Lena slung the handle of her crossbow over her shoulder with one hand, the other holding onto her black motorcycle helmet. The tips of her bobbed, dark brown hair blew to the side as she let out a deep breath, and the smoky purple eyeshadow around her brown eyes seemed to highlight just how tired she was of the environment. It didn't help that she could hear the teasing catcalls of the men she called her family echoing out the windows with each step she took towards the front gate. Luckily, they were soon drowned out by her guardian's booming voice following after her.

"I got you a job in the pottery shop," Stefano Galante told Lena. "You go straight down this path until you get to a fork in the road. Go left..."

The catcalls grew louder and were beginning to get under Lena's skin, causing her to turn around with a growl and flip them off. This only caused the men to cheer inside the house and Stefano to snap in her face until she faced him once more.

"Hey, hey! You listening?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm listening, Stefano."

Stefano shook his head and sighed. "You've been a thorn in my side since you were brought here, acting like the fucking Queen of Sheba instead of the nameless brat you are."

"Well, that's what's going to happen when you're the only girl in the entire house. You get bored." Lena slung her crossbow off and held it up with a smirk. "We need a lot more than these."

Stefano let out a huff and began pushing her towards the gate. Lena was glad he couldn't see her rolling her eyes, as she was able to recite his next speech to herself word-for-word.

"All this time, I've fed you, I've clothed you, I've-"

"-kept a roof over my head. Yeah, I got the drill."

Stefano stepped in front of her to the point that she had no room to move, his glare inches away from her own. "How is it you don't have a clue as to who you were before you came to us but you can remember all that?"

"But I do have a clue to-"

Stefano scoffed when he saw Lena pull out her necklace, where a circular gold charm with an inscription hung from a gold chain.

He said, "I know. 'Together in Gotham.' So you want to go to America to find your family, huh?"

Lena began to soften up at the mention of her quest, allowing a small smile on her face as she nodded.

"Ah, little miss Lena. It's time to take your place in life and in line. And be grateful too." Stefano gave Lena a small shove out the gate then waved with a condescending smile. "Together in Gotham!"

The sound of boisterous, men's laughter rang out through the air as Stefano shut the gate, fully letting Lena know that she was on her own.

Lena shook her head as she stepped onto her motorcycle parked out front, throwing her helmet on as she revved the engine. Without a second thought, she pressed the gas and raced off down the dirt roads of the countryside.

The land stretched for miles on every side, where fields of grass seemed to glow under the warm Italian sun. Despite the beauty that surrounded her, Lena wasn't able to enjoy it. Stefano's mocking rang in her ears at every second, making her squeeze the handles of her motorcycle much harder than she wanted to.

"'Be grateful, Lena,'" she said under her breath. "Yeah, I am grateful. Grateful to get away."

It wasn't long before Lena reached the fork in the road Stefano had mentioned, causing her to stop and step off the bike. She threw her helmet off and set it down, her eyes focusing on the two signs pointing down the paths before her. The arrow pointing left read, "Mercato" while the arrow pointing right read, "Cimina," a town Lena had been dreaming of her entire life. Unfortunately, her life seemed to be heading down a much different path.

Leaning against her bike, Lena crossed her arms and let out a breath. "'Go left,' he says. Yeah, I know what's to the left. I'll be Lena the Orphan forever. But if I go to the right, maybe I can find..."

She felt her fingers move down to her necklace, causing her eyes to do the same. "Whoever gave me this necklace must have really loved me."

Lena looked down the path leading to Cimina, her heart buzzing at the thought of what could be down it. She was quick to stop it, though, as she turned back towards the left and shook her head.

"This is fucking crazy. Me? Go to Gotham City?" Lena let out a groan as she threw up her arms and tilted her head. "Hey, you! Big guy! Send me a sign! A hint! Fucking...anything, really!"

She then slid her back down the signpost and sat on the ground, resting her chin in her hand with a sigh. As luck would have it, God seemed to have chosen that very moment to listen to His child.

Lena felt a small bump hit her side, causing her to look up in time to see a young girl skipping past her down the road. She furrowed her brows as she watched her make her way towards Cimina and was quick to throw her hand in her pocket. Her eyes widened when her fingers only felt smooth polyester instead of the fat wad of cash Stefano had given her before she left.

Lena was smart, though. She had been training her entire life to fight back against low-level criminals. Pickpockets were an easy target.

Quick to her feet, Lena slung her crossbow forward and aimed it high above the girl's head. She pulled the trigger and let an arrow sail past her, landing in the trunk of a tree down the road.

"Shit!" the girl said, quickly turning to run back. Unfortunately for her, that led her to crash right into Lena and stagger back.

Lena kept her quiver steady as the girl backed herself into the tree with the arrow, now able to get a good look at her. She couldn't have been more than twelve, but her plump cheeks didn't help her in losing her baby face. The arm cast was a nice touch, making her look unassuming to her victims despite her street clothes. What stood out to Lena was her almond-shaped eyes bright with fear as she stared at the top of the arrow.

All she was was a scared little kid all alone. Lena had been one of those not too long ago. She knew exactly what that was like. Still, she couldn't drop the act just yet. If she got her money back, maybe she'd show the kid a little mercy.

"Hand it over," Lena said, keeping her weapon steady.

The girl shrugged. "I-I don't know what you're talking about, lady."

"Yeah, you do. I don't have time for this game right now. So hand it over."

The girl made a nervous chuckle. "Maybe we can split it?"

Lena thrust the crossbow forward and clicked the trigger. "Give me my fucking money!"

"AH, alright, Jesus!" The girl stepped away from the tree and reached into her pocket, tossing the wad of cash at Lena's feet. "I don't need it anyway. I'll just get some more in Cimina."

Lena slung her weapon back over then bent down to retrieve her cash, her eyes drifting back up while she did. The girl had started to head back down the road, her hands in her pockets with her head bent low.

Living with Stefano and the boys had taken most of the gentle traits out of her, but there was still a shred of kindness somewhere in her heart. And right now, it was telling her to get that kid back.

"Hey," Lena said once she was back on her feet. When the girl turned around, she sighed.

"I'm sorry. I...have a lot on my mind right now. I'm waiting for a sign."

The girl gave her an absent wave. "Eh, I've dealt with worse. Those guys in town can be really brutal." Standing close to Lena, she added, "What kind of sign are you waiting for?"

Lena looked between the two paths. "One that'll tell me what path to go down."

"Well, I'm heading towards Cimina." The girl pointed at Lena's motorcycle. "Since I gave you your money back, maybe you can give me a ride on your bike. You know, as a way to say you're sorry."

Lena couldn't help but scoff at the nerve of this kid. Still, she had a point. It would be the best of both worlds for them if she did.

"This is crazy," she said under her breath. "Some kid wants me to go to Cimina."

A sudden breeze picked up and whipped past Lena's head, making the tips of her hair blow out to the side. She looked in the direction it was blowing, finding it to be towards Cimina. Her eyes widened once she came to the realization, and they stared directly at the girl's eager face.

So this was her sign, huh? The universe wanted her to take that chance and find out who she was meant to be. Lena was more than ready to accept it, but she couldn't deny the fear that was creeping up from within.

Keeping her eyes ahead, she placed her hand over her chest and took a deep breath, feeling her heart pounding from within.

“ _Heart, don’t fail me now._

_Courage, don’t desert me._

_Don’t turn back now that we’re here._

_People always say_

_Life is full of choices._

_No one ever mentions fear_

_Or how the world can seem so vast_

_On a journey to the past.”_

Lena shrugged. "Okay. I can take a hint." She made her way back to the motorcycle and threw her legs over it. "Hop on, kid."

The girl took no time in running towards her, jumping onto the bike while Lena started it back up.

Lena asked, "What's your name?"

"Oh, I'm Cassandra Cain. It's kind of a mouthful though, so you can call me Cass. What about you?"

"Lena. Just Lena." With a quick rev of the engine, she added, "Hold on."

Cass let out a yelp when she felt the bike pull out onto the road, causing her to throw her arms around Lena. Lena was filled with more life than ever as she drove down the path, ready to finally face what the future held for her.

“ _Somewhere down this road,_

_I know someone’s waiting._

_Years of dreams just can’t be wrong._

_Arms will open wide._

_I’ll be safe and wanted,_

_Finally home where I belong._

_Well, starting now, I’m learning fast_

_On this journey to the past.”_

Along the way, the motorcycle passed by a small cottage set up on the road. The family that lived inside of it rushed out to the front fence and watched it race past in awe.

Lena felt a twinge from within as she looked in her rear view mirror, finding two parents and their two children waving at her with bright smiles. To her, they were the perfect family. It was what she had always wanted. Now that she was heading out, though, she could find out if this type of life had once been hers and was still waiting for her.

“ _Home, love, family._

_There was once a time_

_I must have had them too._

_Home, love, family._

_I will never be complete_

_Until I find you.”_

Lena sat up straighter on the bike when she saw a bridge in the distance. Filled with energy, she stopped the bike at the foot of it and jumped off, walking ahead with a spring in her step. Her fists pumped at her sides as she kept her eyes ahead, and Cass followed close behind with the same energy.

Once they were over the bridge, they stared out at the Cimina skyline waiting for them down the hill. This was only the first step in the beginning of Lena's new life, but she was more than ready to take it once and for all.

“ _One step at a time._

_One hope then another._

_Who knows where this road may go?_

_Back to who I was,_

_On to find my future._

_Things my heart still needs to know._

_Yes, let this be a sign._

_Let this road be mine._

_Let it lead me to my past_

_And bring me home_

_At last!”_


	4. Chapter 4

Lena and Cass soon reached the bustling city of Cimina, weaving their way through the crowds on the motorcycle. The girls made a beeline for the train station, where a long line extended out from the ticket booth.

Lena parked her bike and signaled for Cass to follow her, their feet anxiously tapping on the cobblestone as they waited for their turn. Once they stood before the ticket booth, Lena took no time in slamming Stefano's cash on the counter.

"Two tickets to Rome, please."

"Exit visa," the vendor said in a drone.

Lena scrunched up her face. "Exit visa? What the fuck is that?"

The vendor raised a brow at her. "You don't have an exit visa?"

Lena shook her head.

The vendor scoffed. "No exit visa, no ticket. Sorry, sweetheart." He waved her off then closed the shutter of his window, blocking her out for good.

Lena gave him a hard glare, her hand reaching for her crossbow behind her. Before she could lift it, Cass pushed her out of the line and continued shoving her down the path.

"Hey, whoa, none of that. You don't want to cause a scene," she said.

As they made their way back towards the motorcycle, Lena turned to Cass and asked, "What the fuck was that about?"

"Look, I would love to stab a guy with an arrow as much as you do, but you can't just whip it out whenever someone pisses you off. Most people don't take too kindly to it."

Lena scoffed. "Whatever, kid."

Just as they were about to hop onto the bike, a voice whispered, "Psst."

The two looked over to see an old woman approaching them, tugging on the edges of her cloak.

"See Dinah Lance. She can help."

Lena and Cass turned to each other with wide eyes, the latter shrugging with a quirked lip. Lena then faced the old woman and asked, "Where can I find her?"

"At the old Bertinelli mansion. But you didn't hear it from me."

"Oh. O-Okay."

"Go. Go." The old woman waved at them before turning around to walk on her way.

Lena kept her eyes on her as she jumped on the bike, her thoughts racing at what could be waiting for her at the mansion. Before she could wonder any further, she was brought out of her head by Cass slapping her shoulder.

"Hey! Earth to Lena. Are we going or what?"

"Yeah, alright. We're going."

Lena looked in the woman's direction once more as she revved the engine, furrowing her brows upon finding no one there. She shook her head and let out a sigh, already tired of this day.

With a flick of her hand, the motorcycle raced out of the parking lot and made its way back through Cimina, heading straight for its destination at the heart of the city.

~

Dinah and Renee sat at a table towards the back of a theater, fighting hard to keep polite smiles on their faces. Each person that had auditioned to be Helena was a disaster, as they clearly displayed that they were only in it for the money and had no prior theatre experience.

Renee shook her head as she listened to the current actress list off her resume for them rather than give any effort into being Helena. Dinah nodded at the woman onstage while crossing off her name on a list at the same time.

"Nice, very nice," she said. "Uh, thank you. Thank you, really. Uh, next please!"

The actress gave them a pout then huffed offstage in a loud stomp.

The next person was a husky-voiced woman who threw off her fur coat and let it fall to her feet. Giving a shake of her hips in her schoolgirl costume, she said, "Grandma, it's me. Helena."

Completely giving up, Renee banged her head on the table while Dinah let out a sigh.

"Oh brother."

With that, the auditions were through, and the two women were right back where they started. They pushed open the stage door and trudged back onto the street, barely able to pick their heads up.

"That's it, Dinah. Game over," Renee said. "I'm pretty sure every girl in the fucking city showed up, and none of them could even _pretend_ to be Helena."

"We're going to find her, Renee. She's here somewhere. She's right under our noses."

Renee let out a chuckle. "Who's the detective now, huh?"

"Shut up." Dinah gave her a small shove but began to laugh as well. She then reached into her pocket and held up the music box, practically shoving it in Renee's face.

"Don't forget. One look at this jewelry box, and Carmela will think we brought the real Helena. And before she catches on, we'll already be off spending the ten million euros. It's foolproof."

Renee shook her head with a sigh. "You better be right, kid."

The two then set off for their hideout at the mansion, ready to revise their plan so it could truly begin.

~

The Bertinelli mansion had fallen into disrepair since the family's demise. There was no sign of life within the property, as the marble statues had started to crack, the grass stood almost a foot tall and had gained weeds, and every door and window was boarded up with wood.

Lena parked her bike outside the gate and slowly walked towards the house, Cass following close behind her.

"God, this place is a dump. Why would anyone want to live here?" the latter asked as she looked around.

Lena ignored her, instead turning her focus to the blocked front door. "There's got to be a way in," she said under her breath.

Cass stood beside her and looked down, finding a small opening in the boards close to the ground. "Found one." She fell to her feet and pushed herself through, slithering her way inside until she made it on the other side.

Lena let out a baffled scoff and clawed at the boards, trying to peer inside to find Cass. "Cass! Cass, what the fuck? Let me in too!"

With a sigh, she bent down to her feet and examined the opening, finding it too small to fit her. She stood back up and gripped her hands on one of the boards, resorting to her second plan. With a hard tug, she pried the board off and ripped off several more in the process, causing her to fall back with a thud.

Lena groaned as she stood back up, brushing herself off and shaking her head. Once she was steady, she found that the move had created a much larger hole in the door that she could now fit through.

Taking a breath, Lena stepped inside and found herself surrounded by shadows. Barely any light crept through the mansion, leaving her to roam around the massive rooms and hallways in the dark.

"Hello?" Lena asked as she looked around, her voice echoing off the walls. "Anybody here?"

"Lena?"

Lena whipped her head to the side to find Cass poking out of a doorway, waving her hand towards her.

"There you are! You got to see all the stuff in here."

Lena's steps grew faster as she ran into the room to follow her friend. The two had come across the mansion's ballroom, where every inch of the space was covered in dust. Cobwebs draped pieces of furniture and paintings, and tables were pressed against the walls with their items covered up in tarps.

Rushing over to the table, Cass said, "I bet we could make a shit ton of money if we tried to sell this stuff in town."

Lena was more focused on the items themselves, as she gently blew a layer of dust off a small plate. She picked it up and stared at her reflection in it, gently pushing her hair out of her face.

She almost dropped the plate when a sudden image flashed into her mind, one of a young girl being lifted in the air by her father in a spin. Lena's feet staggered back, and she took several ragged breaths at the thought. Shaking her head, she set the plate back down and walked away from the table.

She made her way towards a cracked mirror tucked away in a corner, where a large vase covered in paintings of bears and swans stood before it on a table.

Her fingers tracing over them, Lena said to herself, "This place. It's...It's like a memory from a dream."

“ _Dancing bears,_

_Painted wings,_

_Things I almost remember._

_And a song_

_Someone sings_

_Once upon a December.”_

Lena then made her way over to the main ballroom floor, where she looked out with an almost pained look in her eyes. Something about the place was familiar. She knew it. It was so close yet so far from her reach. But the more she dwelled on it, the more it felt like home to her.

Cass watched her musings from off to the side, unable to look away from her new friend's rambling fantasy.

“ _Someone holds me safe and warm._

_Horses prance through a silver storm._

_Figures dancing gracefully_

_Across my memory.”_

Lena threw her arms up in the air and closed her eyes, feeling new life surge through her. In her mind, the figures in the paintings on the walls sprung to life, each one dancing with a partner across the floor. Lena couldn't help but wander out there herself, bowing to each one in a graceful bend.

It wasn't long before the members of the Bertinelli family began to emerge as well, their presence strong as they joined the rest of the party.

“ _Someone holds me safe and warm._

_Horses prance through a silver storm._

_Figures dancing gracefully_

_Across my memory.”_

Lena led herself in a spin and felt herself transform, allowing herself to join in on the finery of the party. She no longer looked like the scruffy orphan raised by men but was a real princess. Her baggy pants and tight shirt were replaced by a lavender-colored velvet dress, where the bodice was adorned with flowers. A small belt wrapped around her waist, and the sleeves were made of a clear fabric that ruffled just past her shoulders.

Lena was led into the arms of men and women alike across the ballroom floor, feeling herself become a part of this life of luxury the longer she stayed within it. Just as she was led into one last spin, she felt her breath leave her when she found herself standing before Franco Bertinelli himself.

“ _Far away,_

_Long ago,_

_Glowing dim as an ember._

_Things my heart_

_Used to know,_

_Things it yearns to remember.”_

Lena took Franco's hands in hers and let him kiss her forehead, the warmth of it spreading through her. For the first time in her life, she was feeling a father's love. And she never wanted to lose this feeling.

“ _And a song_

_Someone sings”_

Unfortunately, it began to drift away as quickly as it arrived. Franco let go and stepped back to rejoin his family, but he never took his eyes off Lena.

Lena stayed put but reached her arm out to him, her feet sinking to the floor. Her skirt billowed out around her, and she pulled herself into it, hoping to stay in this moment for as long as she could.

“ _Once upon a December.”_


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey!"

The voice broke Lena out of her fantasy, picking her head up as the other people and her dress vanished. She quickly found herself back in the dark of an abandoned mansion, but there was a Black woman with blonde, braided dreadlocks aiming a gun at her from the door.

Lena was quick to brandish her own weapon, as she grabbed her crossbow and held it before her.

The woman asked, "What are you doing in here?"

Lena then released an arrow and took to her feet, unable to see the arrow sail past her assailant. She turned around in the opposite direction, panting as she made her way towards the opposite door. She ignored the woman's continued cries behind her, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she found Cass waiting for her in the doorway.

Cass looked between Lena and the woman, her hand rapidly waving her out of the room. "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit," she said with each wave.

The two then turned out into the hallway and raced through the manor, keeping their eyes on the stairs ahead of them. Unfortunately, the woman was hot on their tail, still holding her gun as she followed them.

"Stop! Stop, stop! Hold on a minute!" she said.

Lena then dug her heels into the floor and stood before a portrait that hung at the top of the stairs.

The woman said, "Now how the hell did you get in-" She never finished her sentence, as she felt her mouth stretch wider in silence when she saw what lay before her.

Lena was standing right next to the Bertinelli family portrait, with her body placed right next to the depiction of little Helena. And they looked exactly alike.

Lena stared at her pursuer with a hard glare, waiting for her to do something. When nothing happened, she gave her a frustrated shrug to urge her on. Instead, another woman—an older, Latina one—joined their side and almost threw herself next to her partner.

"Hey, 'scuse me, kid-" she started before being cut off.

"Renee, do you see what I see?"

The second woman—Renee, Lena realized—turned her gaze onto Lena and let out a loud gasp when she saw the resemblance. Her hands flying to her mouth, she said, "Holy shit. Yeah, yeah, I do!"

Suddenly, all the pieces clicked in Lena's head as to who this might be. With a sigh, she asked, "Are you Dinah Lance?"

A smirk appeared on Dinah's face as she shrugged, sauntering over to her to circle her. "Maybe. That all depends on who's looking for her."

"My name is Lena. I need travel papers. They say you're the girl to see even though I'm not allowed to say who sent me."

Lena caught onto Dinah's act as she watched her walk around her with a glint of want in her eyes. Her brows furrowing together, she asked, "Hey, what the fuck? Why are you circling me like that? Were you a vulture in a past life or something?"

"Try a canary." Dinah chuckled then stood by her side. "Look, I'm sorry about all that. It's just that you look so much like...Never mind." Waving Renee over, she added, "You said something about travel papers."

"Yeah, I want to go to Gotham City."

Dinah's eyes almost bulged out of her head, a wicked smile forming on her face. "You want to go to Gotham City?" She turned to Renee but found that her friend was distracted with keeping Cass from running away.

"Hey, what the hell is this?" Renee asked as she pulled a goblet out of her jacket.

Cass made a nervous chuckle. "Whoops. How'd that get in there? I guess I should go put it back." She tried to make it down the stairs but was quickly yanked back by Renee pulling on her collar.

"Yeah, nice try, kid."

Dinah waved her hand at them and turned back to Lena, saying under her breath, "Never mind." She returned to her regular voice and said to Lena, "Let me ask you something...Lena, was it? Is there a last name that goes with that?"

Lena sighed. "Well, actually...This is going to sound fucking crazy. I don't know my last name." She shrugged. "Alright? I was found wandering around when I was nine."

"Mmmm. And before that?"

"Look, I know it's weird, but I don't remember. I don't have that many memories of my past." A blush growing on her cheeks, Lena then looked down and began fumbling with her necklace.

Dinah said under her breath, "Well, that's...perfect."

"Well, I do have one clue. It's Gotham."

"Gotham?"

"Yeah. So can you two help me or what?"

Dinah leaned into Renee's side and said quietly, "Renee, the tickets."

Renee let go of her hold on Cass and reached into her pocket, pulling out three train tickets she had purchased just for the occasion. She handed them over to Dinah and let her show them off to Lena, hearing her say, "Well, I'd like to. In fact, we're going to Gotham too. And I've got three tickets here."

Lena reached out to grab one but staggered when Dinah pulled them back.

Dinah added, "But the last one is for her. Helena."

She pointed up at the portrait, causing Lena's eyes to follow her gaze. Before she could respond, she felt the two women link their arms through hers and lead her down the opposite end of the hallway.

Renee said, "We're going to reunite Helena Bertinelli with her grandmother."

"You do kind of resemble her," Dinah said. "The same brown eyes."

"The Bertinelli eyes!"

"Franco's smile."

"Maria's chin."

"You even have Carmela's hands!"

"You're the same age and the same physical type."

Lena couldn't help but let out a scoff. "Are you trying to say that _I'm_ Helena?"

"All I'm trying to say is that I've seen thousands of girls all over the country, and not one of them looks as much like her like you do," Dinah said. "I mean, look at the painting!"

She gestured up to a portrait of Helena and Carmela standing hand-in-hand in a garden, but Lena never took her eyes off her.

"Yeah, I thought you were crazy." Pointing at Renee, she added, "You too."

Lena turned to head out but was stopped by Dinah blocking her path. "Why? You don't know what happened to you."

"No one knows what happened to her," Renee spoke up. "You're looking for family in Gotham City."

"And her only family is in Gotham City."

"Have you ever thought about it being a possibility?"

"That _I_ could be a mafia princess?" Lena asked as she turned back to the portrait.

Her new colleagues gave an affirmative hum on opposite sides of her.

Lena kept her eyes on the painted Helena, her regal smile staring down at her. She didn't really see the resemblance between them, but she could humor them for a little bit.

"I don't know. It's kind of hard to think of yourself as holier than thou when you're sleeping on a damp floor in a house full of guys. But yeah. Sure. I guess every...lonely girl would hope that she's a princess."

"And somewhere, one girl is," Renee said. "After all, the name Helena means, 'she will rise again.'"

"I really wish we could help, but the third ticket is for Helena Bertinelli. Good luck." Dinah then threw her arm around Renee and turned her around, leading her down the stairs.

Lena couldn't look away from the portrait before her, her eyes focused on the striking presence Carmela had over the room. She couldn't help but feel like her face was familiar somehow, but she couldn't place how.

Lena's mind drifted back to the women's absolutely insane plan. Even if she didn't think it was going to work, maybe Carmela could help her find who her real family was. Maybe she knew someone from them. But then...what if she _was_ her family?

Ah, what the hell? It wouldn't hurt to try.

Walking down the stairs with her partner, Renee said quietly, "Hey, I thought we had a thing going here. Why the fuck didn't you tell her about your brilliant plan?"

"All she wants to do is go to Gotham. Why give away a third of the reward money?"

"We're walking away too soon, Dinah."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I got it all under control. Now walk a little slower."

Renee shook her head with a shrug as she moved herself more slowly down the stairs. While Dinah followed suit, she counted, "Three. Two. One."

"Dinah!" Lena's voice called from the top of the stairs.

The two women turned around to see her standing against the railing, an eager smile on her face.

Renee couldn't help but chuckle with a smirk. "Right in the palm of our hand."

"If I don't remember who I am, then who's to say I'm not some mafia princess or whatever?"

"Go on," Dinah said.

"And if I'm not Helena, Carmela's going to know right away, so it'll just be an honest mistake."

"That sounds about right."

"But if you are Helena, then you'll finally know who you are and have your family back," Renee added.

"You know, she's right. Either way, it gets you to Gotham."

"You got that right."

Lena then held out her hand and gave Dinah's a firm shake, causing her to pull away at her strength. Once she recovered, she put on an air and turned to look out over the mansion.

"May I present Miss Helena Bertinelli."

"We're going to Gotham, Cass!" Lena said to her friend.

Cass soon rejoined their side with an armful of new treasures from the palace, her smile stretching from ear to ear. "Hell yeah!" she said.

"Um, I never said she could come too," Dinah said to Lena. "Well, she's coming, so deal with it."

Dinah shook her head and rolled her eyes with a sigh, a small part of her already regretting taking on this job.


	6. Chapter 6

Victor Zsasz sat in the rafters of the Bertinelli mansion, his leg dangling off the board he sat on in a slight swing. Like the girls, he had been frequenting the abandoned building as a hideout of his own, avoiding the authorities whenever they were on the hunt for the criminal. Victor had become used to hearing Dinah and Renee's voices in the halls, but the two new voices brought him out of his dazed thoughts.

He leaned forward on his board and sneered as he heard their conversation. "Helena?" he asked as he leaned back. He scoffed and added, "Yeah, knock yourselves out, girls. There's only one problem. Helena's dead. All those Bertinelli pricks are fucking dead."

Victor reached into his pocket and pulled out the Bertinelli Diamond, as he had been its guardian since Roman Sionis's disappearance the night the curse was enacted. He cupped the jewel in his hand then tossed it in the air several times, watching it glint in the sparse sunlight. He had to shield his eyes when its glow became blinding, but it didn't dim even after moving it.

Victor moved his hand away to find that the Diamond in his hand was blinking a bright light out to him, as if the light was pulsing from within.

Turning the jewel from side to side, Victor asked himself, "What, is Helena a trigger word or something?"

A thought crossed his mind then, making his eyes widen. "Wait, if...if this turned on when I was talking about Helena, that means..." He looked down in the direction of the girls. "Holy shit. She's still alive. And she's right under my fucking nose."

Breaking himself out of his shock, Victor looked back down at the Diamond and furrowed his brows. "But what does that mean for you?"

He waved the Diamond in front of him and found that the light grew or shrunk depending on where he moved. It was then that Victor realized what he held in his hand.

"Fuck me, it's a beacon." He shook his head with a sigh. "Alright. Lead the way."

Once the mansion was empty, Victor climbed down from the rafters and followed the Diamond's beacon throughout Cimina. It led him through the narrow, dark alleyways of the city until all sunlight was blotted out from the sky.

Victor soon came upon a run-down building on the outskirts of the city, where a black skull design was perched on the roof. A sign hung underneath it in fading colors that read, "The Black Mask Club."

Victor looked between the building and the Diamond and shrugged. "So this is where you want me to go, huh? Some shithole. Yeah, alright."

Victor stepped inside and coughed at the dust that clouded his view in the dark. He waved it aside then stepped inside, noticing all the turned-over chairs and tables against the walls as he walked.

"Hello? Anybody here?" he asked. "This...diamond led me here, so...I don't really know what you want."

"WHO THE FUCK TOLD YOU YOU COULD COME IN?"

Victor tripped over a chair at the booming voice echoing off the walls, clutching the jewel to his chest. He quickly picked himself up but jumped upon seeing a figure standing in the shadows before him. As it moved closer, he was able to get a better look at the white suit that seemed to glow in the dark around them and the black skull mask that encased his face.

"Get out!" the figure said as it grabbed Victor by the throat. It froze for a moment while Victor gagged for air, his body thrashing underneath their grip.

The figure then stood up straighter and released its intruder, almost appearing to soften up as it stared at him.

"Victor?" it asked. "Zsasz Darling? Is that really you?"

After regaining his breath, Victor turned to the figure with wide eyes. He hadn't been called Darling in years, and there was only one person that called him that.

"Roman?" He let out a shocked laugh. "You little shit, you're alive?"

"In the flesh." Roman Sionis stepped back and held up his arms with a flourish. He then lowered them with a sigh. "I wish I could say I'm still as perfect as I was back in the good old days, but there's just one thing that's broken."

Roman then took off his mask to reveal a chiseled face marred with lumps and long scars, making Victor give out a disgusted yelp.

"Yeah, it's fucking ugly, right? You know who did this to me? Helena Bertinelli. The little bitch." Roman put his mask back on with a scoff. "I'm glad I killed her when I had the chance."

"Yeah, uh...about that...I saw her."

"WHAT?" Roman whirled around to face Victor. "You saw her alive? Well, that's impossible. She has to be dead. If she isn't, then...then me hiding out here all these years, the justice I feel at getting back at her for _this_ -" He gestured to his face, "-will have all been for nothing, Zsasz."

His fury growing, Roman stomped back over to Victor and let his voice rise with each step. "All this time, I thought my job was done. But now, you're telling me that it's just GETTING STARTED?"

"Hey, hey, Roman. Baby. I got something that can help."

Roman scoffed. "What, Helena's severed head?"

"Close, but no." Victor then reached into his pocket and pulled out the Diamond, letting it glow before Roman.

A loud gasp escaped his mouth as he grabbed the jewel from him. "The Bertinelli Diamond. It's still here! Oh Zsasz Darling, if my face weren't atrocious right now, I'd kiss you."

Roman kept his eyes on the Diamond and ran his fingers over it, letting himself smirk under his mask. "Oh, we are back in BUSINESS, baby! Now, the fun can really begin. Oh yeah. Now, the last of the Bertinellis will die once and for all!"

Keeping the Diamond in his grip, Roman trudged over to a dusty mirror hanging on the wall. He pulled off his mask and stared at his battered reflection, covering one side of his face with his hand.

“ _In the dark of the night,_

_I was tossing and turning._

_And the nightmare I had_

_Was as bad as can be._

_It scared me out of my wits._

_A corpse falling to bits._

_Then, I opened my eyes,_

_And the nightmare was me!”_

Throwing his mask back on, Roman walked past several portraits hanging on the wall, displaying himself in all of his glory. He couldn't bear to look at them, as they all resembled what he looked like before the Curse. Roman was a new man now, and he was going to embrace that to his fullest.

“ _I was once the most mesmerizing_

_Man in all Italia._

_When that family betrayed me,_

_They made a mistake.”_

Roman then glanced into the Diamond and found a vision of Dinah helping Lena onto the train, both women with bright smiles on their faces. They thought they were free of him forever, but he knew better. He was just getting started.

“ _My curse made each of them pay,_

_But one little girl got away!_

_Little Lena, beware._

_Roman is awake.”_

Just then, several more masked figures jumped down from the ceiling and joined Roman's side. Roman ushered them to follow him as they all marched through the halls of the club, the False Face Society coming together once more.

All: “ _In the dark of the night,_

_Evil will find her._

_In the dark of the night,_

_Just before dawn.”_

Roman: “ _Revenge will be sweet_

_When the curse is complete.”_

All: “ _In the dark of the night,”_

Roman: “ _She'll be gone!_ ”

Roman then pushed open two doors to reveal his walk-in closet. Several mannequins that resembled him stood around the room, each one wearing a suit more lavish than the other.

Roman waved behind him at each one so that his minions could give him an accessory from each look. Once they were together, he stepped behind a vanity and threw each piece on, creating a new look that helped him feel more ready to take down Helena Bertinelli once and for all.

“ _I can feel that my powers_

_Are slowly returning._

_Tie my sash and a dash_

_Of cologne for that smell._

_As the pieces fall into place,_

_I’ll see her crawl into place!_

_Arrivederci, Lena,_

_Your Grace, farewell.”_

Once he was ready, Roman and his men made their way back through the club, marching through the shadows to head back to the front door. Each person grabbed a weapon off the various galleries on the wall, taking it with them as they stepped back into the light.

Victor kept up speed with Roman and walked alongside him, feeling his motivation for revenge grow stronger by the second.

All: “ _In the dark of the night,_

_Terror will find her.”_

Roman: “ _Terror's the least I can do!”_

All: “ _In the dark of the night,_

_Evil will brew.”_

Roman: “ _Soon, she will feel_

_That her nightmares are real.”_

All: “ _In the dark of the night,”_

Roman: “ _She'll be through!”_

All: “ _In the dark of the night,_

_Evil will find her._

_In the dark of the night,_

_Terror comes true.”_

Roman: “ _My dear, here’s a sign._

_It’s the end of the line!”_

All: “ _In the dark of the night._

_In the dark of the night.”_

Once they stepped outside, Roman held the Diamond high in the air, letting it shine in the sun. Under its control, the False Face Society set out in the direction of the train, a shrill holler echoing from their mouths as they prepared to bring terror onto Lena and her new friends.

Roman and Victor watched them go with identical smirks, ready to feel like they were on top of the world once more.

Roman: “ _Come, my minions._

_Fly for your master._

_Let your evil shine.”_

All: “ _In the dark of the night._

_In the dark of the night.”_

Roman: “ _Find her now._

_Yes, fly ever faster.”_

All: “ _In the dark of the night._

_In the dark of the night._

_In the dark of the night,”_

Roman: “ _She'll be mine!_ ”


	7. Chapter 7

The girls managed to hop onto the first train out of Sicily that would take them off the island and over to Rome on the mainland. Lena could barely take her eyes away from the window, watching as the land she had always known disappeared behind her forever. Her heart was fluttering from within at her new reality, but she couldn't help but let her fear of what lay ahead settle in as well.

Lena was soon broken out of her thoughts by a sharp cry of, "Hey! I called dibs on this seat!"

Her fingers twiddled with her necklace as she looked across her way, finding Dinah hovering over a glaring Cass.

The latter waved to the empty seat next to Lena and said, "Go sit your ass over there!"

"Alright, alright. I'm moving," Dinah said with her hands up. As she moved to the other seat, she muttered, "I can't believe the kid gets the window seat."

Dinah sat down and crossed her arms with a huff, looking over to watch Lena fidget. She batted her hand at her arm and said, "Stop fiddling with that thing and sit up straight. Remember, you're a member of an upper class family."

This only prompted Lena to pout and slouch lower, crossing her arms as well. "How do you know what upper class families do or don't do?"

"I made it my business to know."

"Oh." Lena shrugged and pulled up her necklace again, looking out the window once more.

Dinah sighed and propped her arm on the back of the seat, leaning closer to Lena. "Look, Lena, I'm just trying to help. Okay?"

" _Ay_ , _dios_ _mio_ ," Renee muttered under her breath as she rolled her eyes.

After a moment, Lena sat up straighter and turned to Dinah. "Hey, Dinah. Do you really think I'm a Bertinelli?"

"You know I do."

"Then stop fucking bossing me around! God."

Dinah gave her companion a sneer while Renee struggled to hold back a laugh.

"She sure has a mind of her own," she said with a smirk.

Dinah scoffed. "Yeah. I hate this bitch."

Lena could only reply by sticking out her tongue before returning to the view.

When the two girls weren't looking, Renee took out her phone and opened her notes, finding one called, "Dinah and Lena's Sick Burns." She added two marks to Lena's tally, bringing the score between the two to be 28-3.

Later on in the trip, Cass and Renee grew hungry, so they set off to find the dining car together. This left Lena and Dinah to their own devices and with more room in their car.

Dinah moved herself to sit across from Lena while her companion was nose deep in a guidebook about Gotham City. Once she propped her feet up on the opposite seat, Dinah let out a sigh.

"Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot."

"Me too. But I appreciate your apology."

Dinah scoffed and leaned back. "Apology? Who said anything about an apology? I was just saying-"

"Look, don't talk anymore, okay? It's only going to piss me off."

"Fine. I'll be quiet if you will."

"Fine by me." Lena then set down her book and returned to her view of the ocean out the window. She soon asked, "Do you think you're going to miss it?"

"What, your talking?"

"No! Sicily."

"Oh. In that case, no."

"Why? It was your home."

"Yeah, right. It was a place where I lived. Actually, I...I'm from Gotham. My mom moved us here when she got a new job."

"Ohhhh. So Gotham's your real home then."

"What is it with you and homes?"

"Well, for one thing, it's something that every normal person wants." Lena then stood up and tried to leave the car but was blocked by Dinah's legs in her path. Pushing herself against them, she added, "And for another thing, it's a thing where you-"

"What?"

Lena threw her hand back and groaned. "Fucking...forget it." She climbed back onto her seat and walked around, allowing herself free range to get to the door.

Before she could leave, the door opened on its own, revealing Cass stuffing her face with a muffin she'd snatched from the dining car. Once Renee followed after her, Lena let out a sigh and pointed at Dinah.

"Thank god it's you. Please get her the hell out of here."

"Oh my god. Dinah, what did you do?"

Dinah shot up to her feet. "Me? It's her!"

Lena threw her head back and laughed before storming out of the car, slamming the door behind her.

Renee shook her head as she sat down, chuckling to herself. "Wow, you two got it _bad_ for each other."

"What? We do not! You really think I want to get with that skinny little bitch? Please."

As she watched Dinah storm off, Renee said, "I was only asking a question."

~

Unbeknownst to the other passengers, the False Face Society was making great traction on the train. Each member followed the train on a motorcycle, keeping in close proximity to it as it rode through the countryside.

Once one member reached the engine, he jumped off his bike and onto the train, slithering along the roof. He then found a funnel and slid through it, ready to enact his boss's plan on getting vengeance against the Bertinellis.

Meanwhile, Renee roamed about the inside of the train, moving from car to car as she read through their travel papers. She walked past a couple doing the same thing but stopped when she heard one of the partners start talking.

"Check it out. Last month, the font of the papers was blue. Now, it's red."

Renee felt her eyes widen and looked down at her papers to find a blue font staring back at her. A loud gasp left her throat as she turned back around, her fight or flight mode fully activated. Her only hope now was to reach the others before their perfect plan fell to pieces.


	8. Chapter 8

Renee threw open the door to her compartment and found Lena and Cass sprawled across their seats while they each took a nap. Luckily, Dinah was awake and turned to face her partner when she stepped inside.

Renee let out a deep sigh as she held up her travel papers. "This is what I hate about this fucking government. Everything's in red."

"Red?" Dinah shot up to her feet with wide eyes.

"Yeah. They changed the color last month. Can you believe it?"

"W-Well, what do we do?"

"We move to the baggage car. It's the only place we got right now where we can hide before they throw our asses off."

The two began to frantically grab their suitcases from above them and place them at their feet.

Dinah let out a huff and said, "Yeah, well, throwing our asses off might help us in the long run. We're already leaving."

Renee didn't hear what she said, as she already taken her things and made a run for it.

Cass was soon woken up by the sound of motorcycles revving from outside. She let out a loud snort as she came to, moving her head back and forth. She took no notice of Dinah's packing and instead pressed her face to the window, gasping when she saw the False Face Society riding alongside the train.

"Uh, guys?" she asked, unable to look away. "I think we have company."

Dinah barely heard Cass as she set down the last suitcase, instead perching herself over Lena to wake her up.

"Hey," she said as she shook her body.

Lena's hand was quick to smack her in the face, sending her flying back into her seat. Lena shot up at once and took up her crossbow, aiming it at her in a daze. Once she saw Dinah tapping on her nose with a groan, she lowered her weapon and sagged her shoulders.

"Oh, it's just you."

"Come on. We have to go."

Dinah took up her bags in one hand and grabbed Lena's hand with the other, dragging her out of the compartment.

"Wh-Where are we going?" Lena asked as she stumbled out the door.

Dinah opened her mouth to answer, but what came out instead was another groan. "I think you broke my nose, bitch."

Lena rolled her eyes and gave her a glare as she walked ahead. Turning to Cass, she said, "She's such a baby."

The four girls weaved their way around the train cars with their heads down, averting eye contact with anyone they passed. Once they stepped inside the baggage car, Dinah let out a breath.

"Yeah. This should be great. Much better."

Lena looked around to find herself standing in a wooden train car littered with suitcases piled up against the walls. There were several crates placed towards the back, and the atmosphere of the room was freezing to the bone. The others were quick to catch on to the chill, as Renee crossed her arms and let out a shiver.

"What the hell are we doing in here?" she asked Dinah. "She's going to freeze if we stay here until Rome!"

"She can thaw in Gotham. Besides, the baggage car was _your_ idea."

"Yeah, but now I change my mind. Let's just get off this train."

"The baggage car?" Lena spoke up, prompting them to turn to her with innocent smiles. Raising a brow at the others, she added, "There wouldn't be anything wrong with our papers, would there?"

"Of course not," Dinah said. "It's just that...I hate to see you forced to be around all those _commoners_."

Unbeknownst to them, the False Face Society had reached the baggage car and rode beside it. One member held up a lit stick of dynamite and threw it at the car's locks, a laugh leaving his throat as he raced ahead.

The dynamite made contact with the locks, breaking them apart on impact and separating the girls from the remaining cars. They looked out and saw the rest of the train sailing far behind them while they sped ahead with the engine.

"What was that?" Dinah asked.

Renee said, "I don't know. But there goes the dining car."

"Guys? I think there's something wrong with the engine," Cass said as she looked through the window of the adjacent door.

Lena and Dinah didn't hear her, as they were trying to untangle themselves from the fall they had taken from the explosion.

Luckily, Renee heard her cry and rushed over to help. A gasp left her throat as she noticed the fiery inferno leaving the engine's smoke stack, and she turned back to Dinah with wide eyes.

"Hey, Dinah! I think somebody fucked with the engine! It's raining fire out there!"

Dinah managed to free herself and took to her feet, running over to the door. "Something's not right," she said under her breath. "Wait here. I'll check it out."

She threw the door open and jumped over the locks to enter the engine. She was immediately blinded by the heat that greeted her, as the engine was bubbling over and ready to burst with flames. Dinah tried her best to shield herself from the sparks that rained over her, and she slowly moved her way across the floor.

"Is anyone here?" she asked.

When no one answered, she moved closer to the engine only to fall back from another explosion. Once back on her feet, Dinah made her way back to the baggage car to find the others staring at her from the doorway.

"We're going way too fast!" Lena said to her.

"Yeah, that's because no one's driving this train. We're going to have to jump."

" _Jump_?"

Dinah threw open a door in the wall and looked down but groaned at what she found outside. The train was riding over the bridge between Sicily and the mainland, leaving them with the option of plummeting to their watery deaths should they jump.

Lena let out a scoff at the sight. "After you, Dinah."

"Fine. We'll unbuckle the car."

Dinah ran back to the locks outside only to find that the False Face Society had beaten her to it. The explosion had caused the locks to become horribly mangled, the metal fused together tightly.

She perched herself on top of the locks and waved at Renee, who had opened up a crate to find a set of tools inside.

"Come on! I need a wrench, an axe, anything!" she said with a wave.

Renee threw over a hammer and she caught it with ease, leading her to aggressively bang against the locks. Unfortunately, it did little to make a dent in the metal and only hardened them further.

Dinah rolled her eyes with a groan and threw her head back. "You got to be kidding me."

She tossed the hammer aside and gripped onto the locks, resorting to the dreaded Plan B. Taking a deep breath, Dinah opened her mouth to let out a sonic scream, the vibrations causing the metal to slightly loosen underneath her.

She glared at it with a sigh. "Of course that worked."

Dinah could already feel her throat begin to scratch from her powers, bringing her to look back towards the others and wave.

"Come on! There's got to be something better than this!"

Lena made eye contact with her just in time, and she saw her predicament. She ran over and pulled out her crossbow, firing an arrow at the locks. The arrow sliced through the metal and broke it apart, causing Dinah to widen her eyes.

"That'll work." She turned to Lena and cracked a smile. "What did they teach you in that home you lived in?"

Lena didn't have time to reply, as she took Dinah's hand and pulled her back inside the car. The girls watched as the engine rode off far ahead, leaving them to ride the tracks at a rapid pace. Another ravine was up ahead, but there was nothing else that could stop them from moving.

Renee found the brakes at the back of the car, constructed by a small wheel attached to a thin rod. She grabbed on and threw all her strength into turning it, but the wheel refused to move.

"The brakes are stuck!" she said to Dinah.

"Turn harder!"

Renee then tried again, this time pulling off the wheel entirely. Throwing it to the ground, she said, "You got to be fucking kidding me!"

"You know what? It's fine. Don't worry. We have plenty of tracks left. We'll just...coast to a stop."

Another explosion sounded in the air, as the False Face Society had thrown another stick of dynamite onto the oncoming tracks. The tracks collapsed from the damage, leaving their car to ride straight towards an empty ravine at top speed.

Glaring at Dinah, Lena said, "You were saying."

Dinah looked around and found a pile of chains on the other side, leading her to run over to it. Taking up one strand of it, she started to run towards the back and said, "Renee, give me a hand with this!"

Renee started to run over but tripped over a crate, sending herself flying into it. Lena took her place and grabbed onto the chains as Dinah hung onto the side of the car. When she saw Lena holding the chains over her, she furrowed her brows.

"Why do you have the chains?"

"Renee's busy at the moment."

Dinah groaned but grabbed the chains anyway, wrapping them under a bar at the bottom of the car. Once they were tight, she grabbed Lena's hand and felt herself pulled back up.

The two women stared into each other's eyes, noticing their warm shades of brown for the first time. They felt themselves begin to get lost in them but were quickly shaken back to reality, allowing Lena to pull Dinah inside.

Once back on her feet, the latter said, "If we live through this, remind me to thank you."

The two pushed the remaining chains towards the edge and out the door, sending them sprawling onto the tracks. A hook attached to the end clipped onto the tracks below, causing the chains to stretch out the longer they traveled. The weight of the car caused the tracks behind them to pull up, making the car spin to the side and begin to halt against the cliff.

The girls then joined hands with one another and looked down at the snowy mountain tops that awaited them.

"Well, this is our stop," Lena said.

Without hesitating, the group leaped off the car and threw themselves into the snow, landing safely onto the ground. They soon picked themselves up and brushed off their clothes, watching as both the engine and baggage car plummeted into the ravine and crashed in a fiery explosion below.

Dinah shook her head as she watched the explosion and turned to the others with a glare. "I hate trains. Remind me to never get on a train again."

~

" _WHAT_?" Roman said as he threw a glass against the wall of the club, the pieces shattering to the floor. The False Face Society had reported the results of his plan to him, and he was not amused by their failure.

"Oh, I cannot _believe_ that little bitch got away from me again! The nerve of her!"

Victor watched his outburst from the table they sat at, and he offered Roman his hand as a show of peace. "Uh, wow. Hey there. Take it easy. Remember your blood pressure? Stress is a killer, boss."

"How could I have let her escape?" Roman asked as he sat back down.

"I know. It's very upsetting. Maybe the Diamond's broken."

Victor took up the Bertinelli Diamond and started to throw it at the same wall the glass had fallen victim to. Roman shot back up to his feet with a gasp and caught the Diamond midair, pressing it to his chest.

"Do you know what I did to get this, Zsasz?" he asked his partner with madness in his eyes. "How many lives I destroyed so I could harness the power of this Diamond? My life, my very fucking _existence_ , depends on this! And you ALMOST DESTROYED IT!"

His body growing tense, Victor held up his hands and took a step back. "Okay. Got it. You break it, you bought it. It won't happen again."

Once Roman calmed down, Victor tucked his hands into his pocket and shrugged. "You know, boss, I almost wish I could do the job for you. I'd show her a piece of my mind. I'd give her a-" He then demonstrated several martial arts moves around the club, accompanying them with fighting noises. Once he finished, he made a small kick with his leg and added, "And then, I'd kick her."

Roman gave him a wavering smile and made a nervous chuckle. "Actually, Zsasz darling, I had something different in mind."

He held the Diamond up to his face and gave it a spin, watching as the light it gave off flickered in the dim light. His smirk began to grow the longer he stared at it, as his plan had begun to come together.

"Something more enticing. Something really...cruel."


End file.
